Putin moots institute to monitor human rights in EU

[Marulus]

Putin moots institute to monitor human rights in EU

29.10.2007 - 10:09 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva


Russian president Vladimir Putin has suggested setting up a Russian-funded institute in Brussels or another European capital to keep an eye on human rights issues in Europe.

"With the aid of grants, the EU helps develop such institutes in Russia," Mr Putin was cited as saying by Reuters, after an EU-Russia summit on Friday (26 October).

"I think the time has come for Russia, given the growth in our financial capabilities, to make its contribution in this sphere as well", he added.

President Putin's personal envoy for relations with the 27-nation EU, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, explained Moscow's intentions further.

"This is not going to be a joint venture," Mr Yastrzhembsky said, underlining "the institute will be monitoring the situation in Europe concerning rights of ethnic minorities, immigrants, media and such".

There was apparent confusion around the content of the Russian idea, with Portugal's prime minister Jose Socrates saying "we received president Putin's proposal of a Euro-Russian institute dedicated to promoting human rights in the two blocs [Europe and Russia] with satisfaction".

Mr Socrates, as host of the event, hailed the meeting as "constructive" and said it led to "significant steps toward building a deeper relationship between the EU and Russia" but there was little agreement on substantive issues.

The two sides were unable to bridge their differences on the future status of Kosovo – the breakaway Serb province, with Russia continuing to take a pro-Serb line on the issue having earlier this year blocked a UN plan granting substantial independence for the province.

In addition, talks on a new partnership deal between the two sides were not kicked off, even though the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) expires at the end of this year.

The PCA will be automatically renewed until Brussels and Moscow agree on a new one, with EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner saying on Friday that a new agreement is probably only on the cards after Russia's parliamentary and presidential elections in December this year and March 2008 respectively.

Talks on a new agreement have been blocked since late 2005 when Poland vetoed the opening of discussions because of a bilateral dispute between Warsaw and Moscow concerning meat imports.

There was also no major breakthrough in the field of energy co-operation, a contentious issue for Europe which is heavily reliant on Russia for gas and oil supplies.

Both sides agreed "to keep working to develop a mechanism for early warning on [potential problems with] supplies of energy from Russia to the EU and demand for it", Russian president Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying by Interfax.

Mr Putin also reiterated his opposition to US plans to deploy missile shields in Poland and the Czech Republic, recalling "how relations were developing in an analogous situation in the middle of the 1960s".

"Analogous actions by the Soviet Union when it deployed rockets on Cuba provoked the Cuban missile crisis", he said.

© 2007 EUobserver, All rights reserved

[source]

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[Kernunnos]

Immigrant rights? is Putin playing the old soviet egalitarian card again?

Should we be giving voting rights to africans thanks to russian intervention?

I understand that Putin is using this tactic a s a retaliatory step against the arrogance of Eu and US but the result could be a hardening of the censorship against us.

[Menydh]

Well, it's a quid pro quo situation, isn't it? The EU plays the westernist guardian sticking its nose in the affairs of a nation that it yet not controls, on behalf of you know who in a distant land thousands of miles away across the waters.

It was similar in Spain with the EEC organisms, during General Franco's regime. So I can understand it even if I cannot agree with it, for the implications that it may have to us.

A better.. actually, an ideal alternative would have been if Putin had resolved to set up a Russian funded institute to monitor the indigenous rights in the EU. But I guess that that would be an oxymoron since he doesn't seem to be doing much for the indigenous rights of Russians, at home.

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

[Errigal]

This does sound worrying. I'd hate see the Russians adopt a new version of their Soviet Third World liberation policy aimed at migrants living in Europe. If they really wanted to throw the cat among the pigeons they should support the various nationalist parties of Europe. Start their own colour revolution in reverse by sending out NGO representatives with bags full of euros, like the Americans did recently in Russia itself.

Russian police raid U.S.-funded NGO

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Errigal

This does sound worrying. I'd hate see the Russians adopt a new version of their Soviet Third World liberation policy aimed at migrants living in Europe. If they really wanted to throw the cat among the pigeons they should support the various nationalist parties of Europe. Start their own colour revolution in reverse by sending out NGO representatives with bags full of euros, like the Americans did recently in Russia itself.

Russian police raid U.S.-funded NGO

yes, putting immigrants on the war path with old style soviet preparation, financial and ideological. Still many soviet supporters are active in Europe, they are in key positions in the media and the state machine, beside bing present at any level.

Many are real agents, and operate covertly, others are old soviet cultivated pacifists and the like.

I think we have to realize that Putin is not likely our salvation, the soviet multiracial upbringing is apparently resurfacing above the nationalist layer we have seen so far.

he was trained ideologically by the organization that gave us Che Guevara, Castro, Luther King and other ethnic revolutionaries.

[Marulus]

Putin seems to be striking back against the local branch of the Yankee world power machine (aka "European" Union). Who could be reproached for that, whether him or the "European" Union, could be a matter of debate. He could have, as Errigal pointed out, supported some local Nationalist parties or movements. But how strong are those movements? Aren't some of them fake "nationalists" entangled in American neocon schemes?

Although I am generally pro-Russian (Russia alwaqys had good relations with Croatia as well), I am not Putin-worshipper. I find some occasional Putin-worship on this site excessive. Of course, he is lesser evil than those forces which American and British secret services want to install in Russia through some "coloured revolution". But from what I could hear from my Russian acquaintaces and from Russian journals on the internet, he seems to be quite corrupt. Maybe they will get some true nationalist (but not imperialist) leader in the future.

Originally Posted by Breha

yes, putting immigrants on the war path with old style soviet preparation, financial and ideological. Still many soviet supporters are active in Europe, they are in key positions in the media and the state machine, beside bing present at any level.

What does "Soviet supporters" mean? The "West" is the new Soviet Union. Those "Soviet supporters" you talk about won't surely work for Putin, but for their new Soviet leaders (Bush, Brown, Sarkozy...) This phenomenon can be observed very acutely in the formder Communist eastern Europe where old "commies" are very fervent enforcers of "Western values".

In my not-so-humble opinion, we should get rid of any form of Westernism in our thinking (I don't say you endorsed Westernism, but I am speaking broadly and generally), because "West" today is in no way "ours" (except forcefully, as the occupational force). But this new USSR is maybe even worse that the old USSR, because of being more efficient in "winning hearts and minds" of the large strata of the population.

Originally Posted by Breha

he was trained ideologically by the organization that gave us Che Guevara, Castro, Luther King and other ethnic revolutionaries.

Martin Luther King was more likely part of the US establishment...

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with national(ist) revolutionaries. Supporting the Establishment is wrong.

[Errigal]

Here's an encouraging news story which loosely relates to our conversation:

Russia shouldn't import Africa sportsmen-Putin

MOSCOW, Oct 2 (Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised sports officials on Tuesday for attracting sportsmen from abroad instead of grooming homegrown champions.

"Looking at our teams, one cannot immediately understand whether those are ours, or a team from Africa," he said.

"The result is well known. There is no one to play in our national teams," he told a meeting of Russia's Sports Council.

Putin wants to revive the past glory of Soviet teams, who dominated in many disciplines, and blamed club managers for the decline in sports.
"Instead of preparing young people, breeding our own national cadres they spend millions of dollars hiring foreign players," Putin told the Council meeting, tasked with planning for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Apart from hosting the Olympics, Sochi is Putin's favourite holiday venue. The winning bid earlier this summer has fuelled a wave of patriotism in Russia and was one of the high points of his eight-year presidency.
The government is spending billions of dollars to make the city a world class sports centre and resort.

"This is all about spiritual and physical health of the nation, of its young generation," said Putin.

Achievements in national sport are seen by the Kremlin as a way to consolidate the nation.

"I want to see the results," Putin said, rejecting explanations by officials that many things are being done and that the revival will take time.

Russia shouldn\'t import Africa sportsmen-Putin | Breaking news | Guardian Unlimited Sport